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Media registry gag exposes bias against 2nd Amendment
I thought this was pretty funny. The article needs to be read fully to be understood. I guess the press thinks more of their rights than they do the rights of everyday citizens.
"My visceral reaction isn't printable but can be summarized thusly: This is a naked attack on the First Amendment — you know, the one that says 'Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech or of the press," the Washington Post's Callum Borchers said late Tuesday afternoon, referring to a bill introduced by Republican State Rep. Mike Pitts.
"I realize we're talking about a state legislature here, not Congress, but we're also talking about one of the nation's founding principles," he added.
The executive director of the S.C. Press Association, Bill Rogers, added in equal indignation that the proposed measure was "ridiculous and totally unconstitutional."
Rather, he said he introduced the bill to make a point about how media treat the Second Amendment and gun laws. Pitts told the Post and Courier that his bill was modeled almost exactly after "concealed weapons permitting law."
Despite Pitts' openness about his motivations, and his willingness to speak to the press, some in media rushed to denounce what they believed was an earnest attempt by a lawmaker to curb free speech, without bothering to interview Pitts.
"What Pitts is proposing isn't just wrong; it simply can't be done. There's no stopping people from spreading the news in a digital society — certainly not with some outdated idea for a registry," the Post's Borchers wrote.
"It's not my concern if a member of the South Carolina House entered a bill as a ruse to 'punk' the media," he added. "My concern is that an elected official publicly stated that he planned to introduce a bill to register and license journalists, with the threat of fines and jail time for violators. I can't allow that to happen. My organization, the New York Press Club, is a dedicated protector of the First Amendment and journalists' rights."
I thought this was pretty funny. The article needs to be read fully to be understood. I guess the press thinks more of their rights than they do the rights of everyday citizens.